Confusion of the Rose
by OrangeRising
Summary: After Yang tries getting Ruby to find someone she "Like-likes", Ruby is left confused about her true feelings for her older sister.
1. Chapter 1

_Confusion of the Rose_

Chapter 1

A pack of beowolves may be dangerous to others but they were no match for her baby, Cresent Rose. She made quick work of the them, alternating between slicing and shooting, while to her pleasant surprise instead of dissolving to dust they exploded in a shower of strawberries. Sweet, delicious, strawberries!

"Eat them" Said Crescent Rose "I'm sure they are tasty"

"Good idea Cressy!" Ruby replied while picking up one the size of her hand. "You're going to taste sooo good."

Just as she was about to take a bite of the strawberry, she head it speak.

"Ruby, it's time to rise and shine!"

Ruby felt herself sit up. Suddenly she was no longer in the strawberry filled field, nor was she holding a hand sized strawberry. Instead she was holding her pillow, which she seemed to have been drooling on.

"And so, Ruby Rose, folks!" Yang said, finishing her pun.

 _A dream?_ Ruby thought to herself. "Nooo! Those strawberries were going to taste sooo good!" She cried out, letting her head fall back into the pillows embrace.

"Sorry to wake you" Yang said as her head appeared at the entrance of her bed-fort. "But it's a great day out, why don't we try meeting some people."

Yesterday Yang had been talking about them spending the morning wandering around Beacon, but it didn't stop Ruby from trying to find another way out.

"How about we spend the day as a team? That is even better than meeting new people."

"Blake and Weiss already left. Come on, don't you want to find someone special?"

"What? What do you mean 'special'?" Ruby said as she climbed out of bed and pulled a good combat skirt out of her dresser.

"You know, special. As Nora would say, someone you want to be together-together with."

That caused Ruby to pause for a moment.

"Well, not really. I haven't given much thought to it. Whenever I need someone, you're always there for me."

With that Ruby stepped into the hallway and down to the girls bathroom.

* * *

In the shower Ruby found herself going over what Yang had said. It wasn't that she hadn't thought about being together-together with someone, actually she seemed to be having those kinds of thoughts more and more often to her discomfort, but the life she wanted didn't leave much opportunity for that. Her mom… her mom was an unfortunate example of what could happen to loved ones who dedicated themselves to being hunters.

Besides, short of befriending some new stranger what would her choices be? It seemed like Pyrrha has an interest in Jaune that goes further than being friends, and even if she didn't want to avoid hurting her Jaune is just too… Jaune for her. Ren is nice. He's quiet, and a good fighter. That was roughly all she about him. Besides, Nora, again despite not dating him but defiantly interested, would most likely hurt her if she tried anything with him. With her hammer. Her very large war hammer, which also shoots grenades.

 _There's always girls_ she thought to herself. But that list of potentials was a lot longer than for boys. Besides, didn't people talk about having a feeling when it is the right person? So she would just have to wait and see.

She stepped out of the shower and grabbed her towel. How would she know if she like-liked someone? She could ask someone what it feels like... or not. Relationships were still kind of an icky subject to her.

 _So why am I still thinking about it?_

Maybe she was just worried about being dense. It would be sad if someone close to her was interested in her like that but she didn't notice their hints.

After drying her hair and throwing her sleep clothes back on came time for the first battle of the day. Having clean teeth is part of a healthy lifestyle, and she wasn't going to let plaque or Grimgervitis tarnish them. The battle was quick, vanquishing her foes with each swipe of the toothbrush. Next came her combat uniform. If she was going to be around strangers, she wanted to wear something that made her feel confident. It was easy enough to slip on, but she could never get the strings in the back as tight as she wanted. Thankfully there was an easy solution.

* * *

"Yang!" Ruby said as she returned to their room. "Can you tie my corset for me?"

"Sure thing, just a moment." Was Yang's answer.

Ruby watched as she paused Left 4 Grim, one of their favorite games, and stood before her. Like every time before, Yang pulled Ruby into almost a hug while reaching behind her to pull each small string tight so they wouldn't come loose later. She usually didn't pay much attention but given the height difference between them this put her face near a rather personal place of Yang's, and she noticed her... assets... were much larger than her own.

 _I wonder if they feel different than mine_ she caught herself thinking. _No, bad adult thoughts, that's lewd! Besides she's… what? A girl? I don't have a problem with those kinds of relationships. My sister? That… should be a reason,but why don't I feel repulsed?_ If anything, Ruby was starting to feel warm, and a little confused.

"And we're done!" Yang said with a smile. She always found it funny how her sister could be so deadly while wearing it, yet had so much trouble putting the thing on. She looked at Ruby's face and followed her eyes to…

"Hey Ruby, my eyes are up here."

"Hm? What?"

"What's wrong? See something you like?" She said with a grin, while giving her chest a gentle shake left to right.

"Wh-what? No! It's just… mine are… but yours… sorry." She stuttered out, grabbing her cape in an attempt to hide her reddening cheeks. It did not work.

"Hey, don't worry about it." Yang said while adding in a playful punch to Ruby's chest, which she didn't know sent a jolt through Ruby all the way to her toes. "Now let's get out there."

* * *

Between her inspiring uniform and the occasional words of confidence from Yang, Ruby had pulled together enough courage and bravado to make it through the day without panicking. Also, true to Yang's word and despite her own misgivings, Ruby had managed to make a few new friends. Maka, leader of team MERC (Pronounced Mercy) was also a scythe fighter. However unlike Crescent Rose with it's built in sniper rifle, Maka's scythe allowed her to channel her aura and project it as a ranged attack.

Outside of that team there was...significantly less success. Yang was always the more comfortable one in public situations, so she would get someone talking before encouraging Ruby to jump in. Ruby, for her part, would talk about what she was most familiar and comfortable with. Weapons. Unfortunately, that was about all she wanted to talk about, and by the time she finished the other person would be edging away or would have heard their name being called off in the distance.

By the time they returned to their room Yang was thoroughly exhausted. Ruby on the other hand was quite happy with herself.

"I can't believe you called him an idiot in front of his friends!"

"Yang, you know how dangerous floating firing pins can be. One day he is going to fire it that thing and it will go fully automatic, and there won't be away to stop it."

"But did you have to call him an idiot?"

"I tried acting like I thought you would!"

"What about the tall one in green? He seemed interested in you. Until you called his friend an idiot."

"Well I had no interest in him. I mean, who ever heard of a bow with an arrow that fires a bullet? It has to be the worst weapon idea I've ever heard or seen."

"Rawh! You're adorable when you're being impossible." Yang said as she climbed into her bunk.

"Well I guess I have more to learn from you." Ruby started to grin at her own quick wit. "Because you're adorable all the time."

That was when a wave of heat washed over her. It had been happening throughout the day. At the same time her stomach went into a knot and she felt really embarrassed.

 _Why do I feel embarrassed?_ She thought to herself _Yang and I joked like this all the time back in Patch._

Pushing this thought to the side she focused on the more pressing issue. She had been having these darn hot spells all throughout the day. She thought maybe it was the temperature at first, but it was actually quite a cold day for this time of year. With luck a good night's sleep would make it stop. Either that or she would wake up with a cold. Oh Well.

* * *

The next morning Ruby was feeling much better. Or she thought she felt better, she had felt fine yesterday except for the hot flashes and she hadn't had any yet. So, better, she decided.

Feeling hungrier than usual she decided to head to breakfast early. On her way there she bumped into Pyrrha and the two started to talk, as friends often do.

"Ruby, what you describe sounds like the feeling one has when they are around someone they have a crush on." Pyrrha explained. "Did you never feel this way about someone back in Signal?"

"What!" Ruby nearly shouted before getting control of her voice again. "No, never. And I can't have a crush on someone, I was… I mean she's… well she…"

Pyrrha misinterpreted Ruby's concerns, and tried her best to comfort her.

"Ruby, it doesn't matter if they are a she or a he. Most of the kingdoms are very accepting of same gender relationships."

Ruby's head was racing in an attempt to process this new information. _No no no. What would Dad think if I told him I had a crush on Yang? What would Bake think? Or Weiss? Or Yan-_

"Ruby? If you tell me who it is, perhaps I could help you."

With that her attempt to make sense of the situation ground to a halt, and she was left with a simple answer that she had to make due with.

 _Nope. Can't let them know. Nope. I'm just confused is all._

"S-sorry Pyrrha. Could you not… um, tell anyone about this? Please?"

The smile on Pyrrha's face dropped somewhat when she heard this, but she tried her best to hide it so she wouldn't make Ruby feel worse.

"Of course."

As they sat down at their normal cafeteria table Pyrrha started mulling over who it could be that would have Ruby acting this way. It certainly didn't narrow things much by knowing it was a girl. If it was a boy that would cut it down to most likely Ren or Jaune. It being a girl opened things quite a bit.

If it was one of the girls on Ruby's team there was Weiss, or Blake. On one hand she seemed to spend a lot of time with Weiss. Usually studying or in the library. On the other hand Ruby sometimes spoke of how much she enjoyed it when Blake would read to her. On her own team there was herself, which didn't seem likely… unless she had picked up some of Jaune's density to attraction, or Nora. Those two would probably make for a scary combination.

However, if she had spent yesterday with Yang, that also meant it could have been someone she met. In the end, she resigned herself to waiting until such a time that Ruby would come forward with more information, just as the other members of their teams joined them at the table.

"Good morning!" Nora sang. "Are ready to start today with a _BANG_!" She said while slamming her tray to the table for added effect.

"I prefer to start my day with a _Yang_!" Answered Yang, finishing the morning ritual.

"Oum dammit. Every time." Someone at a nearby table muttered.

Weiss sat in her normal spot with Ruby on her left and Blake on her right, so that they were arranged in the same manner as the letters in their team name, prim and proper as always even on a Sunday morning.

"I know the test isn't until Thursday, but would you like to spend some time in the library studying? With me, I mean."

She was a little surprised at the lack of a response.

"Ruby? Did you hear me?"

"Hm?" Ruby answered, looking up from her mostly untouched breakfast. Her voice lacking it's usual cheeriness that could always be found even at this time of the morning. "Oh. No thank you."

Yang knew her sister well enough to know something was up. Ruby would always get excited when Weiss asked her to spend time together, ever for something boring like studying. Yang figured she was just feeling down about not finding someone special yesterday, as evidenced by the lack of eating, and decided to do something Ruby really enjoyed.

"Hey Ruby, how about we hit the firing range? There shouldn't be anyone around this early in the morning."

"No, thank you. Actually I think I'm going to go back to bed." She said while standing, her food still mostly untouched, and her glass of milk still full.

Now that wasn't like her at all.

"Ruby?" Yang asked, concern clear in her tone. "Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine." She answered as her voice turned cold, and she cast a hard glare at Pyrrha "I'm just coming down with a cold. Nothing. Else."

With that she walked away to dispose of her tray, while Pyrrha took a sudden interest in the plate of food before her.

 _What the hell was that?_ Yang thought to herself. _And Pyrrha avoided looking at her, so she must have been the one it was meant for. What is going on with Ruby?_


	2. Chapter 2

_Confusion of the Rose_

Chapter 2

"That was weird" Jaune said to break the silence.

"Agreed. That is definitely not normal for her." Added Blake. "Were you talking about something that upset her, Pyrrha?"

Being a usual centre of attention did not help with the sudden anxiety Pyrrha felt as six pairs of eyes turned to her.

" I do not believe so. I'm sorry, but she asked me not to tell anyone what we spoke of."

Yang, not being one to sit around and do nothing, especially if something was bothering her little sister, decided to go after her.

"Well I'm going to find out what's wrong." With that Yang took her bacon and egg sandwich and headed back to their room.

"Should we go too?" Weiss asked. Ruby was usually so cheerful that it was odd something could make her act in such a way. Also, not that she would admit it to another person, it was nice to have a friend around her when she studied. It was something she never had at home.

"No. Yang has a way with words" Answered Blake. She didn't add that it was Yang who had managed to make her see the logic in slowing down her quest to stop the White Fang. If she hadn't, who knows what kind of condition she would have driven herself to. "Besides, they are family. They talk about everything together."

/

 **Knock knock knock**

"Ruby?" Yang said as she opened the door and entered the room, before walking over to Ruby's bunk. With the blankets of her fort pulled tight there was no way to see inside.

"Hi Yang. Sorry to storm out like that." The voice inside said. She sounded sad.

"Hey, it's no problem. Do you want to talk about what's got you down?"

"No, I'll be alright. I'm going to hang out in here for now, but I promise I'll be better later."

"Well… alright." Yang paused for a moment. Yang hadn't expected Ruby to keep quiet on whatever was bothering her. Usually Yang was the first person she went to for help, or just to talk. "Could I come in your fort? I can stick around if you like."

"No!" Ruby answered a little loudly, surprising Yang. "No, that's alright." A little quieter this time. "Would you mind hanging out with the others for a bit? Some time to myself would be nice."

For a moment Yang was happy that Ruby was hiding in her fort, because it meant she couldn't see the look of hurt on her face. It was a long time ago, but Yang could still remember promising Summer that she would be the best sister Ruby could ever have. That she would love her, and always be there for her. That was why it hurt her that Ruby wouldn't open up and let her help. To Yang it was like she was failing to keep her word. But, if Ruby wanted her to keep the others away, then that is what she would do.

"As you wish." Yang said as she walked out of the room, locking and closing the door behind her.

* * *

Ruby was also momentarily happy for the blanket between them as she felt herself starting to cry once she heard how worried Yang was for her, but she managed to hold off the sobbing until she heard Yang leave.

"I'm _*sob*_ sor-sorry Yang. I'm just _*sob*_ a stupid freak." The tears hit her pillow as she used it to cover her face. The last thing she needed was someone in the hallway to hear her.

Yang would probably hate her if she found out. Weiss and Blake too. Then she would be alone, and solely responsible for driving her team apart. _Stupid Ruby, of all the people to fall for, you had to fall for your own sister_ she mentally scolded herself.

 _But I've always loved Yang. We were always there for each other growing up._

 _She will never love you like_ _that_ _. Move on and get over it._

Ruby rolled onto her side and pulled her extra pillow into a hug. She would just have to act like nothing ever happened, and try to put everything back to normal.

/

In the library the other three members of team RWBY were gathered around a small table off to the side of the room. Weiss and Blake were at least trying to keep up an appearance of normalcy. Yang on the other hand…

"I can't believe she wouldn't tell me what was wrong!" Yang said while pacing back and forth. While most students weren't used to seeing the blonde brawler inside the library but her reputation of punching things, and people, when angry had everyone giving them a wide berth.

Blake appeared as calm as ever, but if you were to watch her eyes you would see they remained fixed in place instead of scanning the page.

"I'm sure if it concerned us she would tell us. We did agree to no secrets concerning the team."

"Agreed." Added Weiss. She had her collection of notes and books from class around her, but despite her pen never leaving her hand she was working at a snail's pace compared to her normal speed. "Ruby, despite her faults, is a very competent leader. If it was something we could help with I'm sure we would already know."

"Well I know my sister, and this isn't like her!" Yang said as she slammed her hand to the table. From the feeling of rage she felt, her eyes were probably already red. Still, it wouldn't do to set off the fire suppressors in the room. "I need someone to tell me what to do."

The thought of so many books being incinerated by an angry Yang, or water damage, again, as a result of Yang, was too much for Blake. _Please forgive me_ she thought, knowing what was about to be headed Pyrrha's way.

"Pyrrha was the last one to talk to Ruby before she started acting so strangely. Perhaps she would know."

It was a frightening transformation. Yang's face went from tense, to relaxed as a smile emerged. Her eyes however, remained red as blood.

"That is a good point. Thanks Blake." Yang said before removing her gauntlets, putting them on the table, and heading out the door; much to the relief of the librarian.

Blake set her book down and stared at the yellow gauntlets for a bit.

"This is going to be bad." She said at last.

"What do you mean? If she was going to fight she wouldn't have left her weapons behind."

"She left behind her metal weapons. Pyrrha won't have any way to stop her if she attacks."

Weiss set her pen down for the first time since they arrived, and also stared at Yang's weapons. One set of them anyways. That girl could probably strangle a Ursa with her bare hands if she wanted to.

/

Jaune was having a good day. It was a weekend, which meant no classes, and because there was combat training tomorrow Pyrrha would go light on their training tonight. Yep, just him and today's comic book. Pyrrha was also in the room, but she seemed to be lost in thought about something.

 **Knock knock knock**

"I'll get it." Jaune announced as he tossed his comic to the side and got up from his bed. As he reached for the door he thought he heard someone say "One."

* * *

Yang kicked with enough force to blow the door off its hinges, sending it flying into whoever was on the other side. Stepping over the door, which seemed to have someone underneath it, she spotted her target. Pyrrha was sitting upright in her bed, and unlike Ruby she didn't sleep next to her weapon.

Pyrrha didn't feel fear going into her sparring matches anymore. After all, she was Pyrrha Nikos. The Invincible Woman. However the sign of Yang before her, flames running across her skin and red eyes burning into her own made her taste that fear for the first time in a long while. They were both unarmed, but even with her training Yang had a large advantage. She tried to think what she could have done to bring this upon herself but she came up with blank. As Yang approached she figured her only hope would be to talk it out.

"H-hello Yang, how can I hel-" Her voice was cut off as Yang's hand reached Pyrrha's neck. It was shortly followed by her head hitting the wall behind her.

"What. Happened. To. Her." Yang spoke each word slowly to insure her point was made. She was not to be trifled with. Not today.

"Who are you-" Pyrrha felt Yang's grip tighten. Her aura would prevent any permanent damage while it lasted, but between Yang's Strength and the burning flames it was quickly draining.

"My sister. What. Did Ruby. Tell you." The Beacon residence wasn't a new building, so while each room had a fire suppression system, they did not have fire detectors. Thankfully the materials in the room were fire resistant.

"She just said that she has a crush on someone, I promise she didn't say who." Pyrrha was very afraid now. She couldn't escape on her own, and Jaune hadn't recovered yet. Her only hope was that Yang calmed down and let her go. Thankfully she felt Yang's grip loosen slightly.

"She told you what?"

"Yang, stop!" A voice called from the doorway. Yang turned to see Ruby standing there on the door. Her eyes were red. Not red like Yang's, from anger, but red from crying. "Please Yang, let her go. I promise I will tell you what is going on, just... don't hurt anyone."

Reality came crashing down on Yang as her rage left her. She must have looked terrifying with her eyes red like a Grimm's, and fire bursting from her skin. There was also the friend she had grasped by the neck.

"Oh God. Oh God I am so sorry Pyrrha." Yang said as she released her and started backing herself towards Ruby, and away from Pyrrha.

"It is alright. I should not have tried to keep a secret between sisters." She replied, doing her best to put on a smile while rubbing her neck. Her bedding now had burn marks on it.

Ruby took Yang by the arm and led her back to their room across the hall. Pyrrha let out a sigh of relief when she heard their door close, while Jaune crawled out from under the door and stumbled to his bed. After a moment of looking around he turned to Pyrrha.

"Did you see what happened to my comic book?"

Pyrrha had been trying to figure out what the charred pages on her bed once were, so she held them up.

"Was this it?"

"Aww man…"

/

Over in team RWBY's room, Ruby had just confirmed to Yang what Pyrrha had told her.

"Why didn't you just tell me earlier?" Yang asked. "I promise I won't judge you no matter who it is. Just… it's not Cardin is it? I mean, it's alright if it is, but you can do a lot better."

"Eww, Yang. No, I promise it's not him."

"Then they are you upset about it? Liking someone is nothing to be ashamed of."

"It's just…" Ruby sighed. "It's complicated, alright? I don't think they would ever like me in the same way, and if I told them it would ruin what I already have with them."

Yang gently embraced Ruby in a hug.

"I was really worried about you Ruby. You always tell me when something is wrong, when you wouldn't say I thought it was something really, really, bad. You know that if you ever want help figuring out what to say to this person, I'm here for you. I promise I won't laugh, no matter who it is."

"Thanks Yang" Ruby whispered. It was hard for Ruby to be this close to her but not say who her feelings were for. If she did tell her though, they probably would never be this close again. Ruby let the feeling of warmth pass through her. She might not be able to tell Yang her true feelings, but she wouldn't let them affect her team.

"I love you, little sis." Yang said as she pulled back from the embrace. Next she put her arm over Ruby's shoulder and led her to the door. "Now let's go tell the others that you're feeling better."

"Sure thing." Ruby replied, while thinking to herself _I love you too_.

* * *

/

/

Author Notes: There you have it folks! Jaune continues to have his priorities in order even after having a door land on him. I was really happy with the responses to chapter one so I thought I would take this opportunity to address them.

FoxyFoxation - I'm glad people know what I was referring to by a floating firing pin. I learned about it when reading up on the Russian SKS from WW2. And yes, there will be angst. Much angst in fact.

THB4 - She didn't. Of the list of people Pyrrha thinks it could be, Yang wouldn't even be on it. Chapter three and four will go more into how Yang feels about Ruby, but I'll let you discover the details when they come out ;)

Light Blue Yoshi - I'm glad you enjoy it. If you're looking for a really good short story that handles the romance between them nicely, check out a story called RWBY: Amber Rose by Xenika.

Natural Born Flamer - Thank you, I hope you continue to enjoy it!

Blackace70 - Thank you. I wanted a slow ramp up before getting into the emotional stuff. I have a storyboard written for my ideas so far, and I'm continuing to add to it. All I will say is the shortest this will be is 20K words, or 10 chapters, because that is what I have chapter outlines for at this moment.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Monday started the same way any school day would for Yang. The alarm on her wrist buzzed silently, bringing her slowly to the world of consciousness just before Ruby's went off. She smiled to herself both at her own cleverness, and that the others had yet to catch on.

 _ **SREEEEK!**_

Ruby's whistle roared to to awake her team. Yang could feel Blake jump in her bunk, and she imagined Weiss did the same. For her part though, she sat up slowly with a yawn and a stretch before rolling out of bed.

"Good morning team!" Ruby practically sang. In Yang's mind there really wasn't a better way to start the day, and they had long ago given up on asking her to stop anyways.

"Morning guys!" Yang chimed in. _Will this be the day?_ She thought to herself.

Blake sat up and let her feet touch the ground.

"How come that whistle doesn't make you jump like the rest of us, Yang?"

"It's because I always wake up with grace and dignity." She answered. _Come on, take the bait_.

Sure enough, Weiss went for it.

"Grace and dignity? You wouldn't know grace if it hit you in the face."

 _Bingo!_

"Grace must be what Ruby's bed frame is made of, seeing as yours against it last week." Yang had been waiting for an opportunity to use that one. Weiss had sat up a little too straight one morning and smacked her head against the bottom of Ruby's bed.

"Maybe the pillow she keeps taped under there is made of dignity." Blake added. Yang took a look at Weiss's bunk, and sure enough there was now a pillow taped up so she wouldn't repeat the incident.

"That's not funny!" Weiss declared with a stamp of her foot. Maybe riling her up before they had coffee wasn't such a good idea afterall. "People shouldn't have to worry about brain injury this early in the morning!"

"No arguing before breakfast!" Ruby declared as she positioned herself between Yang and Weiss. "Now everyone get dressed and prepare for the breakfast march!"

/

Yang opened the door to the hallway and was greeted by Jaune and the rest of team JNPR, who were also heading to breakfast. Morning greetings were exchanged between the two teams but when Yang tried to apologize for knocking their door down, and everything else that happened, Jaune put his hand up to stop her.

"Don't worry about it. I may not be much of a fighter, but fixing things is an important skill on a farm."

He stepped to the side and sure enough, the door was back in place like nothing happened. Well, except for the mark her boot had left on it. Pyrrha also let Yang off the hook, but Yang knew she would have to talk with her more later. Her neck had almost finished healing over night, but it still looked a little red.

On the way into the cafeteria Ruby also tried to apologize to Pyrrha for her behavior, to which Pyrrha insisted she had nothing to apologize about. When they arrived at the breakfast line they were all delighted by the surprise of breakfast sandwiches, and as they sat down at their regular table Nora started their morning ritual.

"I always like to start my day with a **BANG**! Nora declared while slamming her tray to the table.

"Well I prefer to start my day with a _Yang._ Yang replied with a snap of her fingers, thus finishing the tradition. This time however, Ruby felt like joining in.

"I like to start my day with a _Weiss_ cold glass of milk." She said before taking a big drink, proudly displaying the white mustache it left behind. The results were immediate. Groans erupted from most members present, while a member of a nearby team stated they would find a new place to sit tomorrow. Yang and Nora on the other hand burst into laughter.

Yang took this as a good sign Ruby was feeling better, and that maybe they could have a chance to spend some time together. After taking a few breaths to calm down she asked.

"Hey sis, how about we hit the firing range after classes are done."

"Sorry Yang." Was the answer. "But I should probably start studying for that math test on Thursday. Weiss, are you still willing to help me?"

Weiss almost looked surprised as she looked up from the BLT before her.

"Of course I'll help you. It would hardly reflect well on me for our team leader to fail a test."

 _Thats our Weiss for you, folks._ Yang thought to herself. Always thinking about how things reflected on herself. Still, she was making an effort to get along with everyone, and she went out of her way to help Ruby with school work, so that made her alright in Yang's book.

"Well, alright then."

/

The day went by mercifully fast for Yang. Combat training was always a fun class, even if this time around she had been pitted against Jaune. His time with Pyrrha was really starting to show off, but he had a way to got before she would have to worry about him winning a round. After combat training came professor Port's class of Grimm biology, also known as the class of Port's heroic tales. Alternatively known as a chance to sleep. Once classes were done for the day Yang and Blake returned to their room while Ruby and Weiss went off to study. Weiss preferred to study in the library where she wouldn't need to worry about interruptions, which were usually caused by Yang.

Yang figured Ruby and her would get a chance to talk again over supper, given how she hadn't said much to Yang in class, but when supper came she was surprised when only Weiss showed up. Apparently Ruby had eaten early so that she could watch their books while Weiss ate. Instead it would be later that evening, as even Weiss had a limit on how much studying she could do in one day, when Yang would next see Ruby. However just as quickly as she came in Ruby told her she wanted to apologize to Pyrrha again and was gone. By the time she came back Yang was already in bed, and she felt it was too late to try having a heart to heart chat.

 _Well, I'll just have to try to find some time with her tomorrow_. Yang thought to herself.

/

Despite her best efforts, Ruby always seemed to be busy when Yang tried to make plans with her. She didn't pick up on it at first because it made sense Ruby wouldn't want the distraction before a test if she was nervous about it, but after the test on Thursday Yang realised she was definitely avoiding her. Not only was Ruby still spending way more time than usual with Weiss, but when she wasn't with Weiss she seemed more interested in hanging around Pyrrha and Jaune's team then she was with spending time with Yang. Now it was Friday and it felt like the only time they talked with each other was in the morning or when they ate. She was starting to feel... lonely without Ruby around.

Sure there were a lot of people Yang knew who she would calls friends, but they were the kind of friends you would go to the bar and make funny stories with. Ruby was Yang's best friend and sister all rolled into one. She liked to think Ruby could always go to Yang when things were bothering her, but the truth was Ruby was the first person Yang could turn to when she needed to talk. This time around she turned to another of her close friends, Blake. With Ruby and Weiss once again in the library, they had all the privacy she wanted in their room.

"Blake, I need you to be straight with me. Do you think Ruby is avoiding me?"

Until now Blake had been lying in her bunk while enjoying her book. She had been a little surprised at Yang's sudden question, and slightly more so when Yang's upside down face appeared from the bunk above.

"I don't think she is avoiding you, Yang." She answered without putting her book down. " I think she has been trying to spend more time with Weiss."

Now it was Yang's turn to be surprised.

"Why would she be trying to spend more time with Weiss? This week has to be the most she has studied for a test since… ever."

Blake set her book aside to give Yang her undivided attention and looked up at Yang.

"Ruby never said who she was interested in, but ever since we found out I think she has been looking for reasons to spend more time with Weiss. Also, when she spends time with me she has been asking questions about the romance parts of my stories."

As Yang climbed down from her bunk and found a seat at the edge of Blake's bed, she continued.

"Ruby started acting strange when she discovered she had romantic feelings for someone. If that someone is Weiss, perhaps she was worried her feelings would negatively impact the team."

Yang had to think that one over. Could that be the reason Ruby hadn't been spending time with her? Could she have a crush on Weiss? Ruby hadn't mentioned what gender the mystery person had been, but Yang had only been thinking about boys that it could have been. Not that she would have a problem if that was what Ruby liked. It wasn't like Yang hadn't had a little fun with girls in the past, but this was definitely something to look into.

"Wow. Ruby and Weiss ehy?" Maybe I can get them apart for a moment and ask Weiss a few questions." Yang said as she stood from the bed and walked to the door.

"By the way Blake, it is a bit of a stretch to go from them spending time together to one wanting to date the other. What made you think of it?"

"Well, it wasn't me exactly. Something similar happened in one of my books, and Ruby seemed quite interested in how it turned out."

Yang smiled as she opened the door. One of these days she was going to take a look through those books of hers and see what kind of 'romance' was really in them.

"So? How did it turn out?"

"One of the lovers sacrificed themself to save the other, and their friends, from an overwhelming enemy attack. Unless Beacon falls in the near future I don't think we need to worry about that."

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Author notes: Hello everyone! I'm happy to read how many people are enjoying the story so far.

University is in full swing once again, as evidenced by this chapter going up almost a month later than I would have liked. I just wanted to say that I'm still writing in my spare time, and even if it takes a while to get them out I am still here.


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